Bandits Blood
by Sierra K
Summary: Mt. Reikaku, Mt. Kaou’s and the Imperial Family, a few bandits, mikos and there’ll be some merry hell! Imperial and Mountain Power Houses share their stories of Love, Hope, Fear and Loss. AU, based around Tasuki No Mikos' Translation of Genrou Den


**_Bandits Blood_**

By : Sierra K Mitchell

On : September 17 2004

Mt. Reikaku, Mt. Kaou's and the Imperial Family, a few bandits, mikos and there'll be some merry hell! Hakurou, Genrou, Kouji, Eiken, Saihitei, Ougi, Kyouan and Mt. Kaous' Power House share their stories of Love, Hope, Fear and Loss. AU, based around Tasuki No Mikos' Translation of Genrou Den.

All direct quotes from Genrou Den come from Tasuki No Miko's Translation of Genrou Den. I did not translate them or claim any ownership over the original or translated versions. Furthermore, I do not own Fushigi Yuugi, the characters, original plot line or anything you may recognize, other people do. If I did I wouldn't be writing this now would I? I AM however claiming ownership over what IS original in this fic, I wrote it, leave it alone. If you would like to send comments I can be reached at , feel free to say what you have to say and I'll feel free to write you back!

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Fourteen, she'd never had her birthday ignored before. It had always either been Mum, or Dad or Oneechan to remember. But now that is was Oniichan, and only Oniichan and for all he said about loving her and defending her, he'd missed her birthday. It hurt, deep down in her chest, it hurt, it'd never hurt this bad before. When Mother had died, Neechan had taken over her birthday celebrations and Father had always carved her something. Oniichan had been away, bandating, at the time. But it had been Neechan and Father and maybe some village friends. Then Father was ill and Neechan had sent for Niichan, even though they hated each other. By the time Niichan listened to Neechans letters, Papa had died. Then it was to Mt. Kaou with what little they had.

Then Neechan died and now it was her and Oniichan.

And the Kaou Mountain Bandits of course.

She sighed, she hadn't dared hope that he'd throw her a party or send her something nice. He preferred her to be as inconspicuous as possible, and she'd realized that for the safety of the men, it was better for her not be seen. She'd have liked something small to commemorate turning fourteen by her only living relative, no one had ever forgotten her before and that's what pinched her heart the most. She'd been forgotten, she was second in order of importance, no one made any effort to hide it and she made no attempt to ignore it.

Kinda like Niichans pedophilic homosexuality tendencies, they weren't mentioned and she turned a silent blind eye.

But this was life now, bandits, stealing, submission and missed birthdays. This was all she had, all she ever would have.

Unless she ran away..............or was kidnapped.

Reirei sat, wondering, wandering her thoughts across the wide plane of escape. There was so little she could do, her brother had her watched at all times, the men knew that if something happened to her it would be on their heads.

So what were her options? More freedom, more independence and maybe one day she could arrange her own escape, either by kidnapping or running away.

She needed to leave but she needed to set things up properly first.

* * *

He'd shed his name back in his village. He hadn't yet decided on his new one, just like he couldn't decide on where to go or what to do with himself now either. His family, his mother, his father, Reika, all of them, dead. The plague had swept in, engulfing everyone in pain, killing them all within days of each other. He'd been spared, he'd been forsaken and now he'd been liberated.

The family trade of rice fields, the marriage to the girl next door, who's sonless father was also in rice fields. He couldn't say he was delighted he'd been robbed of such a life, with a wife, prosperous employment and a family but he couldn't say he was disappointed they were gone either.

Reika had been nice enough, gently reared and brought up to be a good wife. Their house was being built bit by bit as everything came together. It would have been a pleasant existence. There would have been children immediately, the more boys the better. Hard work, supporting both sets of parents plus a family, that's what his parents had done, and their parents before them, and their parents before them. It was expected of him, required. He was under obligation because he had been born and because he was a good son.

He'd never told his parents about his hunger for fighting. Of holding a sword in combat. Of strategizing, planning, capturing, plundering, of victory and success. He wanted tangible riches, he wanted to help people who could not help themselves..............

He wanted to be a Mount Reikaku Bandit.

His mother would have locked him in with the Ox for a few months, feeding him hay and making him drag a plow until he understood the severity of his desires. His father would have castrated himself in shame that his own flesh and blood would _dare_ to suggest such a thing. Reika would have fainted.

Everything made Reika faint.

All the while this new plague-found-freedom hummed merrily in his soul a darker side of his feelings emerged. He'd never again smell his mothers cooking or laugh with his father over a new workers' first blundering steps through the soggy fields. He'd never again share a tender moment with Reika while on a walk or stop in for sake with her father.

He's abandoned his house, all three that now belonged to him, his fields, his livestock, everything around him in his village made him sick.

How could he think of raising a family with a new woman in Reika's house? How could he tend to the rice fields with workers his father hadn't trained?

How could he ignore this gut wrenching desire to be something other than a farmer now that any and all obstacles had been removed from his path?

The mountain was in view, it had been a few days walk after his horse had collapsed, whether from exhaustion or illness he knew not.

The Mountain of the Reikaku bandits loomed over him, he couldn't decide whether it was comfort or concern the sight brought to his heart. There was his future, his destiny, he would find himself there; he would adopt a new name, make new friends and start a new path on that mountain............._Whether they want me or not!_

With newfound determination, strength and confidence, he brushed his blue bangs out of his face, he strode to face whatever the bandits of Mount Reikaku threw at him.

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A/N: Hello hello! I'm writing this to get it out of my system and to correct an injustice done to Reirei. I personally see the necessity of her death for the story of Fushigi Yuugi, but that doesn't mean I agree with it. So, like most good fans, am here to fix it. It also happens that she's a lot like one of my original fiction characters and so this is helping that creative process as well. Love it, hate it please tell me. Also if there's something you don't see enough of in everyday fan fiction let me know and I'll see if I can't include it here. Cheers for all reviews, Cheers with Cherries for all creative criticism!

Also a big hug and a bowl of Sugared Cherries for KittyLynne who's first review was perfect! I hope the corrections are okay, I truly value your opinion as an authoress and admire your stories! Cheers!

XOXO Sierra


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